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A66427 A short discourse concerning the churches authority in matters of faith shewing that the pretenses of the Church of Rome are weak and precarious in the resolution of it. Williams, John, 1636?-1709. 1687 (1687) Wing W2734; ESTC R7663 18,741 33

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A SHORT DISCOURSE Concerning the Churches Authority IN MATTERS of FAITH Shewing that the PRETENSES OF THE Church of Rome ARE WEAK and PRECARIOUS In the Resolution of it LICENSED March 8. 1686. LONDON Printed for Randal Taylor near Stationers-hall 1687. THE PREFACE FInding that in our Modern Controversies with the Church of Rome which are Printed and in Discourses with those of that Communion they make their Retreat almost upon all Accounts to the Churches Authority either as a Point that may be most Colourably defended or which lazy and weak Heads most readily take up with I was induced to examin it Safety and Certainty are things very valuable not only because they carry a delightfull correspondency to our Minds but also for the respect they have to the Time before us which in Prudence we must provide for no Condition being so uneasy and disgracefull as when a Man comes to proclaim his own Folly by saying Who thought of this Such as our Interest at stake is such ought our Care to be that we may not be imposed upon by Pretences It argues a degenerous Mind that rests it self upon that which comes next hand But not to inlarge this Preface I will only say a very few Things concerning Faith for which Church-Authority is pretended as a Ground Faith is often in Scripture put to signify Religion and in that Sense it implies not only those Things which a Christian must know and believe but also the applying the Mind to them in all Obedience and Humility not excluding the assistance of Grace which subdues the perversness of our Wills and thus with a particular Propriety it may be styled the Gift of God. But in this following Discourse as sometimes in Scripture Faith more especially means that Act or Operation of the Mind whereby it imbraces those Things which are sufficiently Proposed to it And as Truth is more or less apparent so the Mind is more or less firmly united to it Not that the Object of our Faith has in it any Vncertainty but that our Prejudices and Passions our Interests and Pleasures by which our Wills are warped and made stubborn hinder the Mind from apprehen●ing Truth These false Biasses too often ●●nfound our Reason●ngs and misguide our Minds And he●ce it comes to pass as the Scripture observes that Faith in some is Weak in all capable of Increase 'T is manifest the Mind may discern Truth so as to be certain of it but still a Corrupt Will may as it were unhinge the Judgment and make its adherence less firm This was well enough observed by him that lately wrote the History of the Life of Christ That Faith which springs from the Evidence of Sense or from clear Demonstration must needs be of small Esteem and Reward with God. St. Thomas was Checked for not believing without it and the Parable tells us if Moses and the Prophets could not Convince neither would they be perswaded though one rose from the Dead Now if the Churches Authority be that which our Faith may resolve into the Assent of the Mind would in all Points be equally Firm and Clear and so Faith would be Equal in all annd capable of Improvement in none Plain it is that the design of Religion is to bring Men to a right apprehension and belief of God and to ingage them to a holy and vertuous Life in conformity to such an Idea of that pure and perfect Being He that has not a Mind so disposed will never be influenced by an Infallible Guide and he that has an humble Mind and teachable Spirit will need none However I am sure he that will not be satisfied without one must go farther than Rome to find him But this grows too fast for a Preface therefore I will only tell you that I have purposely avoided a multitude of Citations because they have more or less Authority as People please but I have proceeded by the weights and moments of Reason which are equally valuable to all A SHORT DISCOURSE Concerning the Churches Authority IN MATTERS of FAITH IT is a fundamental Maxim and of unquestionable Authority in Nature That Truth is always and every where one and the same So that among the various Opinions in the World but one of them can be right Upon which account Schism with its ill Consequences is on all sides much lamented whilest every body thinks he has the Truth and Peace and Unity in pretence at least much desired But the misery is all would have them upon their own terms and that frustrates their desires Controversies therefore still depending and the Points under debate being of such importance that the Party which affirms them makes the believing them to be a necessary Condition of Catholick-Communion and damns them that refuse them while the Party that denies says they run a manifest hazard that imbrace them It cannot be thought unfit for any Man to inquire after a method which may bring these Disputes to an issue or that may keep in Peace and Quietness the Minds and Consciences of Christians while Pride Interest or Prejudice shall keep open the Breach or maintain the Quarrel Nothing is more Natural and Congenial to Mankind than Truth and the desire of it is implanted in the hearts of all Men an impartial search after it therefore is what all Men are bound to And as Salvation is the End in Common aimed at by all so it highly concerns-every Christian to examin the way by which he goes toward that End and he ought to inquire the more Cautiously and Diligently for that the ways proposed for attaining Salvation are Many and Different And those that go one Way will hardly allow Safety to them that take another And this at present is the Case between the Papists and the Protestants which invite Men to each others Communion as safer and better for attaining Eternal Happiness Every Man has a Soul to be saved and what must be done to inherit Eternal Life is an Enquiry every one in the World ought and I hope most Christians do make for themselves For since our first Parents by their Disobedience incurred Death to themselves and their Posterity Salvation is what by Nature we could neither Claim nor Expect But that the Devil might not triumph in an absolute Conquest over so glorious a part of the Creation as Mankind God of his infinite Mercy was pleased to enter into a Second Covenant with Men in order to their Salvation but this upon Condition of Faith and Repentance on our parts to answer the Salvation proposed and offered on his Now this Covenant being an Act of meer Grace issuing purely from the good Pleasure of God it is very plain Mankind can know no more of this Covenant nor of the Conditions of it than God himself has been pleased to Reveal and Discover So that all Questions and Disputes about our Common Salvation must be brought to this one as the Standard of all viz. Whether it be the